Sub Q incident

My Mosi had surgery on the 19th to remove a foreign object from her stomach and intestine. I brought her back on Friday (20th) for further observation and IV fluids at their request. They called Saturday morning to see how she was and to request she come in for an X-ray to see how things were working. Everything was fine and they even decided to give a sub q shot before we left. When we got home and let her out of her carrier we noticed the right side of her face was swollen and she couldn't open her eye. The clinic was closed by then so we didn't speak to the vet until Monday. He didn't seem too concerned and said the fluid must have moved. It's now the 27th and the swelling is gone,but the eye is only half open still.
Will this improve or did the vet damage my kitty's eye?

Wow, that would be unusual for the subq fluids to cause the swelling by the eye unless they injected them in her neck (normally it's done over their shoulder blades and/or over their abdomen. It's hard to say if her eye will return to normal or not.

I know the injection was done by syringe. She even said there would be a fluid pocket on her back.The vet tech told us what she was going to do and then 10 minutes later she brought Mosi back to us. I know on the way home Mosi had her head down laying on her paws while in her carrier. It's just so strange. Her eye was leaking clear liquid for at least 3 days after.

Usually when sub q fluid moves, it goes somewhere easy to fill, like under the loose skin around the shoulder/neck area. Around the face is an odd place for it to accumulate.

It is definitely worrisome that the eye is still half closed. If it doesn't improve by the morning, I would either take her back to the same vet for a check or to a different vet for an unbiased opinion.

Edit: just saw your new post (I type slow)and liquid seeping from the eye defintely indicates that something was done incorrectly with the administration of the fluids. It sounds like they injected her in the wrong area and possibly did the whole procedure to quickly.

Maybe the eye is just irritated from the extra pressure. It sounds like the fluids have all absorbed since the obvious swelling is gone. The eye shouldn't have had that extra pressure behind it. Hopefully, there is no damage, but only a vet will be able to determine that.Edited by happybird - 12/27/13 at 9:17pm

I couldn't count the number of sub-q's I have given my cat and never has the fluid gone anywhere but down. It usually ends up in the bottom of his chest or one of his arm pits. He always gets a sub-q lying down and usually curled up with his head a little lower than his shoulders but the fluid always goes downwards. The skin is loose around the mid-section but tight around the head so the only way I could see this is if they forced the fluid in when using the syringe. My guy's body typically absorbs all of the fluid within about 8 hours so it should have been gone by the next day. Even if the cat had liquid coming out of her eye it would be doubtful that it was the sub-q fluid as the body is pretty much sealed and this liquid would have to have come through the tear duct to get there. More than likely it is something else such as an irritation or something in the eye but I would image it will settle out and the cat will be fine. She can open her eye so it is getting better so keep an eye on it and if it is not getting better in a day or so you may want to take her back or check with another vet.

That shouldn't be what is used for sub-q fluids, I wouldn't think. At least I've never used anything that is in that recall. I've always used Lactated Ringers. But thanks for that info.

How's Mosi today? getting better every day still? I've also never heard of what you described caused by sub-qs. Especially when not done very often. Did you see the excess water anywhere else on his body...like around his shoulders or even down one front leg? My old guy would often get one really big leg after his sub-qs because all the fluid would accumulate down there.

Mosi goes in for entropion surgery on right eye tomorrow. When she went in to get her stitches removed (foreign object surgery) the vet checked her eye and suggested drops.
We ran the 10 day course and although she's opened her eye, the bottom lid has turned inward. I believe the sub q swelling agrevated the eye by causing the eye to sink thus causing the curled lid. She had entropion surgery on her left eye in October so this is nothing new. Her right eye was perfectly normal until the swelling though. I feel so bad that she has to wear the dreaded cone so soon AGAIN. Ugh.

Mosi home after surgery this morning. Took her a little longer to come out of the anesthesia this time. She's drooling more. Instead of using the laser they had to use the scalpel due to the cut pattern to fold the lid back. Stitches come out in 10 days.

Hi Susan!
Mosi is great. She's happy that I'm not stalking her 24/7 now. She was almost getting her back leg around that cone the last few days!
Eye looks wonderful. I'm going to burn that cone in the back yard first opportunity.How is Scooter?